By Rhodes Sinnott

After months of anticipation from the entire Collegiate community, Collegiate’s 2023-2024 basketball season is in full swing. Many star players on this year’s team deserve to be highlighted as we dive into the season. 

During the first game of the season, on Tuesday, November 29, Collegiate stuck out a hard-fought win over Grace Christian School. Collegiate looked sharp, firing on all cylinders as they played aggressive defense, rebounded well, made great shots, and played unselfish basketball, as the squad got everyone involved on the offensive side of the ball. Key players such as Randolph Campbell (‘24), Brandon Anderson (‘25), Frank MacNelly (‘25), Owen Odom (‘25), and Xay Davis (‘25) all played important roles in their win. Campbell led the squad with a career-high 32 points, while MacNelly added nine points, Anderson and Davis had eight points, and Odom had six points on the night.

Two Cougars were named members of the All-Tournament Team at the 34th Annual Potomac School Tip-off. Photo credit: Beverly Campbell.

Before going into their game against Benedictine Preparatory School on Friday, December 8, the Cougars were 4-0, as they had won against Grace Christian School, Saint John Paul, Potomac High School, and Banner Christian School. However, the Cougars struggled to keep up against a big, strong, and fast Benedictine team, resulting in a 44-61 loss, the first of the season. Leading scorers so far this season include Campbell and MacNelly, while others like Anderson, Davis, Odom, and Aidan Gregory ‘(26) also help the Cougars significantly on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Campbell, a Senior captain and four-year varsity player, has high hopes for the season. Campbell is one of the best point guards in the state, as he has been playing valuable minutes since his Sophomore year. His job is to lead the team while also scoring at will and facilitating the ball to his teammates. Campbell stated, “Collegiate basketball has given me countless memories these last four years and taught me a lot on and off the court.” Some of his favorite memories are celebrating with teammates after a win and attending team dinners. Campbell is “excited about having a new group of guys and a new spark to the team.” He looks forward to the “big-time Prep League games” against St. Christopher’s School, Trinity Episcopal School, and Benedictine. Although Campbell is a great basketball player, he is committed to play Division I lacrosse at Providence College in Rhode Island next year. His lacrosse skills and feel for the game translate onto the basketball court, as he uses his multi-sport connections to his advantage. Campbell proclaims, “They are very similar sports and have the same concepts and movements. The dodging footwork on the lacrosse field helps my basketball moves in creating space for a shot.”

Junior starter MacNelly is a sharpshooter and can make shots from all areas on the floor. He can drive to the rim, drain mid-range shots, and drill three-pointers from behind the arc. The team can always count on MacNelly to finish as a top-three scorer while also holding his own on defense. “We are very confident in ourselves and our ability to shut down teams’ offenses while speeding up the pace of the whole game. We look small, but we have some aggressive and gritty players who can rebound the ball to make up for it,” stated MacNelly. MacNelly is “excited to win games and become more connected as a team.” Like Campbell, MacNelly looked forward to playing against Benedictine and anticipates their game against Woodberry Forest School at home on Feb. 9. MacNelly has hopes to play college basketball in the near future. 

New to the Collegiate basketball team and community this year is Odom. Odom is an athletic guard who can stretch the floor, make valuable shots, and get rebounds while also assisting the ball like a second nature. MacNelly, Campbell, and other teammates believe that Odom will have a breakout season “due to his aggression and overall grit and willingness to put the team before himself,” says MacNelly. Odom proclaims, “We are a little undersized, but we feel that we have nothing to lose, which makes us a dangerous team to play.” Odom values head coach Del Harris’s motto, “Culture Wins” and has bought into the program. He looks forward to their game against St. Christopher’s on January 26, as it will be his first rivalry game as a Cougar. Odom has a bright future at Collegiate, as many anticipate a great career from a college-level talent.

Harris became the head boys’ basketball coach at Collegiate in 2016 and is extremely “humbled and grateful to be the head coach at Collegiate.” Harris is excited to coach and be around a great group of guys this season and loves how the boys enjoy playing with each other, as well as for each other. Harris stated, “We are trying to focus on us and not worry about the standings or rankings. We want to have tunnel vision on improving every day as a group.” The team’s five pillars revolve around the word “HEART,” which stands for humility, extra, accountability, resilience, and thankfulness. “The heart is something that is inside of you,” Harris proclaimed. He believes that these five pillars are crucial for the Collegiate basketball team in order for them to be successful on and off the court. Harris’s favorite part about being a coach is using his “leadership and mentoring skills and watching guys grow as young men.” Harris’s classroom is the gym, for he takes pride in developing his players and setting them up for success, not only in basketball but in life itself.

Collegiate basketball has always been a top-tier program in the state, and the Cougars have all the tools to finish strong this season, so I am excited to see what this team brings to the table.

Featured image courtesy of Collegiate School.